January is one of the slowest months of the entire year, so it is the perfect time to plan the garden.
This year we plan to double the raised garden space. First, we have created a supply list so we can begin constructing the boxes. I absolutely love the planter wall blocks (found in your local hardware store).
Last fall, we were able to secure soil. The local nursery will giveaway their discarded potting soil and we put it to good use. We mix the potting soil with our own compost to add nutrients. We will talk more about our composting methods later. This allows us to fill the beds more cost effectively. Our raised beds are 1 foot deep and filling those beds can get costly very quick.
My preferred method is planting in raised beds, but we do have a moderately sized in-ground bed as well. Both raised beds and in-ground gardens soil samples are sent to the local extension office and soil amended per recommendations When you send in the soil samples they ask what you plan to plant to achieve the appropriate PH. We like to amend our soil in January to allow the new amendments to have time to mix.
After prepping the space, I like to draw out my garden using graph paper to maximize the space. I know some people prefer to use a digital garden planning, I guess I am a little old fashion. Here are some things to consider when planning you space:
Spacing, Seasonal, Rotation, Plant Supports, Shading
Seeds, Seeds, and more Seeds. I like to keep a seed inventory which makes it much easier when planning the garden and when ordering new seeds. I also use this inventory to help with varieties and brands that work better than others.
Next, I like to create a calendar to help with seed starting dates, or direct sow dates. You can find all this information on the seed packets. I also encourage you to look up your local frost dates. I also like to reference the farmers almanac for best planting dates. So now that you have all this over whelming information, what do you plant?
Since we have limited growing space, evaluate what our family really likes. How much of each does your family really eat and how well (and easy) is that vegetable to preserve. We also keep records of how well each vegetable sells at the farmers market. Gardening takes up a lot of time, energy - not to mention $. I want to make sure I am getting the best yield for my money.
Seed Storage:
I get a lot of questions regarding my seed storage. I picked up this plastic storage container at my local craft store, it is designed for photo storage- but is the perfect size for seed packets. Place a few labels, add a couple moisture packs and poof, the perfect seed organization. I believe after this year, I will have to expand to 2 boxes.
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